19:1 And they brought Joab word, saying,
Behold, the king weeps and mourns for Abessalom.
19:2 And the victory was turned that day into mourning to all the people,
for the people heard say that day, The king grieves after his son.
19:3 And the people stole away that day to go into the city, as people steal
away when they are ashamed as they flee in the battle.
19:4 And the king hid his face: and the king cried with a loud voice, My son
Abessalom! Abessalom my son!
19:5 And Joab went in to the king, into the house, and said, Thou hast this
day shamed the faces of all thy servants that have delivered thee this day,
and [have saved] the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives
of thy wives, and of thy concubines,
19:6 forasmuch as thou lovest them that hate thee, and hatest them that love
thee; and thou hast this day declared, that thy princes and thy servants are
nothing [in thy sight]: for I know this day, that if Abessalom were alive,
[and] all of us dead to-day, then it would have been right in thy sight.
19:7 And now arise, and go forth, and speak comfortably to thy servants; for
I have sworn by Yehovah, that unless thou wilt go forth to-day, there shall
not a man remain with thee this night: and know for thyself, this thing
[will] indeed [be] evil to thee beyond all the evil that has come upon thee
from thy youth until now.
19:8 Then the king arose, and sat in the gate: and all the people reported,
saying, Behold, the king sits in the gate. And all the people went in before
the king to the gate; for Israel had fled every man to his tent.
19:9 And all the people disputed among all the tribes of Israel, saying,
King David delivered us from all our enemies, and he rescued us from the
hand of the Philistines: and now he has fled from the land, and from his
kingdom, and from Abessalom.
19:10 And Abessalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle: and now
why are ye silent about bringing back the king? And the word of all Israel
came to the king.
19:11 And king David sent to Sadoc and Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak
to the elders of Israel, saying, Why are ye the last to bring back the king
to his house? whereas the word of all Israel is come to the king to his
house.
19:12 Ye [are] my brethren, ye [are] my bones and my flesh: why are ye the
last to bring back the king to his house?
19:13 And ye shall say to Amessai, [Art] thou not my bone and my flesh? and
now Elohim do so to me, and more also, if thou shalt not be commander of the
host before me continually in the room of Joab.
19:14 And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah as that of one man; and
they sent to the king, saying, Return thou, and all thy servants.
19:15 And the king returned, and came as far s Jordan. And the men of Judah
came to Galgala on their way to meet the king, to cause the king to pass
over Jordan.
19:16 And Semei the son of Gera, the Benjamite, of Baurim, hasted and went
down with the men of Judah to meet king David.
19:17 And a thousand men of Benjamin [were] with him, and Siba the servant
of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons with him, and his twenty servants
with him: and they went directly down to Jordan before the king,
19:18 and they performed the service of bringing the king over; and there
went over a ferry-boat to remove the household of the king, and to do that
which was right in his eyes. And Semei the son of Gera fell on his face
before the king, as he went over Jordan;
19:19 and said to the king, Let not my lord now impute iniquity, and
remember not all the iniquity of thy servant in the day in which my lord
went out from Jerusalem, so that the king should mind it.
19:20 For thy servant knows that I have sinned: and, behold, I am come
to-day before all Israel and the house of Joseph, to go down and meet my
lord the king.
19:21 And Abessai the son of Saruia answered and said, Shall not Semei
therefore be put to death, because he cursed Yehovah's anointed?
19:22 And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Saruia, that ye
as it were lie in wait against me this day? to-day no man in Israel shall be
put to death, for I know not if I this day reign over Israel.
19:23 And the king said to Semei, Thou shalt not die: and the king swore to
him.
19:24 And Memphibosthe the son of Saul's son went down to meet the king, and
had not dressed his feet, nor pared his nails, nor shaved himself, neither
had he washed his garments, from the day that the king departed, until the
day when he arrived in peace.
19:25 And it came to pass when he went into Jerusalem to meet the king, that
the king said to him, Why didst thou not go with me, Memphibosthe?
19:26 And Memphibosthe said to him, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me;
for thy servant said to him, Saddle me the ass, and I will ride upon it, and
go with the king; for thy servant [is] lame.
19:27 And he has dealt deceitfully with thy servant to my lord the king: but
my lord the king [is] as an Messenger of Elohim, and do thou that which is good in
thine eyes.
19:28 For all the house of my father were but as dead men before my lord the
king; yet thou hast set thy servant among them that eat at thy table: and
what right have I any longer even to cry to the king?
19:29 And the king said to him, Why speakest thou any longer of thy matters?
I have said, Thou and Siba shall divide the land.
19:30 And Memphibosthe said to the king, Yea, let him take all, since my
lord the king has come in peace to his house.
19:31 And Berzelli the Galaadite came down from Rogellim, and crossed over
Jordan with the king, that he might conduct the king over Jordan.
19:32 And Berzelli was a very old man, eighty years old; and he had
maintained the king when he dwelt in Manaim; for he was a very great man.
19:33 And the king said to Berzelli, Thou shalt go over with me, and I will
nourish thine old age with me in Jerusalem.
19:34 And Berzelli said to the king, How many [are] the days of the years of
my life, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?
19:35 I am this day eighty years old: can I then distinguish between good
and evil? Can thy servant taste any longer what I eat or drink? can I any
longer hear the voice of singing men or singing women? and wherefore shall
thy servant any longer be a burden to my lord the king?
19:36 Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king: and why
does the king return me this recompense?
19:37 Let, I pray thee, thy servant remain, and I will die in my city, by
the tomb of my father and of my mother. And, behold, thy servant Chamaam
shall go over with my lord the king; and do thou to him as it seems good in
thine eyes.
19:38 And the king said, Let Chamaam go over with me, and I will do to him
what is good in my sight; and whatsoever thou shalt choose at my hand, I
will do for thee.
19:39 And all the people went over Jordan, and the king went over; and the
king kissed Berzelli, and blessed him; and he returned to his place.
19:40 And the king went over to Galgala, and Chamaam went over with him: and
all the men of Judah went over with the king, and also half the people of
Israel.
19:41 And behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said to the
king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and caused the
king and all his house to pass over Jordan, and all the men of David with
him?
19:42 And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, and said, Because
the king is near of kin to us: and why were you thus angry concerning this
matter? have we indeed eaten of the king's food? or has he given us a gift,
or has he sent us a portion?
19:43 And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten
parts in the king, and we are older than you, we have also an interest in
David above you: and why have ye thus insulted us, and why was not our
advice taken before that of Judah, to bring back our king? And the speech of
the men of Judah was sharper than the speech of the men of Israel. |
19:1 And it was told Joab, Behold, the king
weepeth and mourneth for Absalom.
19:2 And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people:
for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son.
19:3 And the people gat them by stealth that day into the city, as people
being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.
19:4 But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O
my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!
19:5 And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast shamed
this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day have saved thy life,
and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives,
and the lives of thy concubines;
19:6 In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends. For thou
hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither princes nor servants:
for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this
day, then it had pleased thee well.
19:7 Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants:
for I swear by Yehovah, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with
thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that
befell thee from thy youth until now.
19:8 Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the
people, saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the people
came before the king: for Israel had fled every man to his tent.
19:9 And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel,
saying, The king saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered
us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land
for Absalom.
19:10 And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now
therefore why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back?
19:11 And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying,
Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the
king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king,
even to his house.
19:12 Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh: wherefore then are
ye the last to bring back the king?
19:13 And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not of my bone, and of my flesh? Elohim do
so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me
continually in the room of Joab.
19:14 And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of
one man; so that they sent this word unto the king, Return thou, and all thy
servants.
19:15 So the king returned, and came to Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to
go to meet the king, to conduct the king over Jordan.
19:16 And Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, which was of Bahurim, hasted
and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David.
19:17 And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the
servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants
with him; and they went over Jordan before the king.
19:18 And there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king's household,
and to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before
the king, as he was come over Jordan;
19:19 And said unto the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me,
neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day that
my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his
heart.
19:20 For thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am
come the first this day of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my
lord the king.
19:21 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be
put to death for this, because he cursed Yehovah's anointed?
19:22 And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that
ye should this day be adversaries unto me? shall there any man be put to
death this day in Israel? for do not I know that I am this day king over
Israel?
19:23 Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king
sware unto him.
19:24 And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king, and had
neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes,
from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace.
19:25 And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king,
that the king said unto him, Wherefore wentest not thou with me,
Mephibosheth?
19:26 And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy
servant said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go to
the king; because thy servant is lame.
19:27 And he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord
the king is as an Messenger of Elohim: do therefore what is good in thine eyes.
19:28 For all of my father's house were but dead men before my lord the
king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own
table. What right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king?
19:29 And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters?
I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land.
19:30 And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yea, let him take all, forasmuch
as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house.
19:31 And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and went over
Jordan with the king, to conduct him over Jordan.
19:32 Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old: and he
had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a
very great man.
19:33 And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will
feed thee with me in Jerusalem.
19:34 And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live, that I
should go up with the king unto Jerusalem?
19:35 I am this day fourscore years old: and can I discern between good and
evil? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more
the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy
servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?
19:36 Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king: and why
should the king recompense it me with such a reward?
19:37 Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine
own city, and be buried by the grave of my father and of my mother. But
behold thy servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to
him what shall seem good unto thee.
19:38 And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to
him that which shall seem good unto thee: and whatsoever thou shalt require
of me, that will I do for thee.
19:39 And all the people went over Jordan. And when the king was come over,
the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned unto his own
place.
19:40 Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him: and all
the people of Judah conducted the king, and also half the people of Israel.
19:41 And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said unto the
king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and have
brought the king, and his household, and all David's men with him, over
Jordan?
19:42 And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king
is near of kin to us: wherefore then be ye angry for this matter? have we
eaten at all of the king's cost? or hath he given us any gift?
19:43 And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten
parts in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye: why then
did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back
our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of
the men of Israel. |